August 18, 2017

Highlighted Year: Roger Craig, 1985

Fullback, San
Francisco 49ers

Age: 25

3rd season
in pro football & with 49ers

College: Nebraska

Height: 6’0” Weight: 222

Prelude:

Chosen by the
49ers in the second round of the 1983 NFL draft to address the unsettled
situation at running back, and better known in college for his blocking
ability, Craig teamed at fullback with veteran acquisition RB Wendell Tyler and
gained 1152 yards from scrimmage (725 rushing, 427 receiving).

1985 Season Summary

Appeared in all
16 games

[Bracketed numbers
indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 214
[19]

Most attempts,
game – 22 (for 117 yds.) at Denver 11/11

Yards – 1050
[13]

Most yards,
game – 117 yards (on 22 carries) at Denver 11/11

Average gain – 4.9
[6]

TDs – 9 [8,
tied with Walter Payton & Larry Kinnebrew]

100-yard
rushing games – 2

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 92
[1]

Most
receptions, game – 12 (for 167 yds.) at Atlanta 10/6

Yards – 1016
[11]

Most yards,
game – 167 (on 12 catches) at Atlanta 10/6

Average gain – 11.0

TDs – 6 [20,
tied with eight others]

100-yard
receiving games – 2

Total Yards – 2066
[3, 1st in NFC]

Scoring

TDs – 15 [2,
tied with Louis Lipps]

Points – 90

Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff at NY
Giants)

Rushing
attempts – 9

Rushing yards –
23

Average gain
rushing – 2.6

Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions
– 2

Pass receiving
yards – 18

Average yards
per reception – 9.0

Pass Receiving
TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

2nd team
All-NFL: AP, NEA

2nd team
All-NFC: UPI

Pro Bowl

49ers went 10-6
to finish second in the NFC West and qualify for the postseason as a wild card
entry, while leading the conference in total yards (5920) and touchdowns (53).
Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to New York Giants (17-3).

Aftermath:

Craig split
time with HB Joe Cribbs in 1986 but had a second Pro Bowl year in ‘87 as he
gained 1307 total yards in the strike-abbreviated season (815 rushing, 492
receiving). Craig received NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 1988
while rushing for 1502 yards and catching 76 passes for 534 yards as the 49ers advanced
to a Super Bowl victory. He had a fourth Pro Bowl year in 1989, gaining 1054
yards on the ground and 473 through catching passes as the 49ers won another
championship, but, after absorbing seven years of punishment as a versatile
all-purpose back, his productivity began to drop off thereafter. After one last
year with the 49ers in ’90, he moved on to the Raiders and then two final years
in Minnesota, never gaining more than 590 yards rushing in any of his last four
seasons or catching more than 25 passes. He retired with totals of 8189 rushing
yards and 4911 receiving yards on 566 receptions, a total of 13,100 yards from
scrimmage.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories: